From footraces to football, authorities in Pennsylvania are beefing up security at major events in the aftermath of the deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon.

Harveys Lake police are calling in backup to handle a crowd expected to top 1,000 for the Glen Summit Spring Water Harvey's Lake Run on Saturday morning, and Penn State is banning backpacks, bags and purses from Beaver Stadium for the noon Blue-White football game.

In Pittsburgh, organizers are reviewing security for the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5 - a race with already tight security due to a bomb scare in 2010.

"In the world we live in, you've got to put security first. You really do," said Rich Pais, executive director of Wilkes-Barre Racing, a nonprofit that raises money and awareness for child foster care and adoption that is putting on the Harveys Lake race.

The run begins at 9 a.m. Saturday with an 8.2-mile race around the lake, a shorter 5-kilometer run and a CrossFit Kids program. Organizers are holding on-site registration at Grotto Pizza, where participants are also allowed to park.

Harveys Lake police Chief Charles Musial said organizers are expecting more than 1,000 people to attend, including spectators, and that police have asked other departments to have officers on standby and to supply extra manpower to show a police presence.

Officials plan to sweep Grotto Pizza before the event, and the department also has requested state police help and the presence of two police dogs on the scene, he said.

"We've had no threats. We are not anticipating any problems, but we just want to be prepared," Chief Musial said. "With what happened in Boston, we just want to heighten our security. â¦ We're more concerned about a copycat."

Mr. Pais said volunteer firefighters will help limit traffic around the lake during the race, and race organizers have hired Legion Security Services in Wilkes-Barre to help monitor the start and finish line.

Runners will be asked not to leave bags lying around and to keep them in their cars - bags left unattended will be inspected by security and removed, he said.

Mr. Pais said he planned to meet with Wilkes-Barre police today about races the group is holding on Labor Day.

"This is just stuff that's in your mind as a race director all the time: How do I keep my runners safe and secure?" Mr. Pais said. "You do a little bit extra maybe on a day like today. You really clamp down on the bags and the packages and you put a little extra visibility to make the runners feel secure and just to keep an extra eye on things."

Officials in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston said they are beginning to evaluate security plans for major upcoming events - such as the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Fourth of July - in light of the Boston bombings.

"It's very possible that we may have to beef up security and do hand searches," Wilkes-Barre police Chief Gerard Dessoye said. "Anything is possible. It depends on what the perceived threat level is."

City spokesman Drew McLaughlin noted that city personnel "prepare for any eventuality" by training for events elsewhere such as school shootings and other mass casualty events.

Policing a major event can be challenging, and police must be vigilant in looking for suspicious behavior, Kingston police Chief Keith Keiper said.

"You never know what you're going to run into," he said. "You never know what's out there."

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

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